A Touch of Curaré
"A Touch of Curaré" is the twelfth episode of . It depicts the first appearance of Curaré. Gotham City District Attorney Sam Young has been marked for death by the Society of Assassins, who have sent their best member: Curaré. Now Batman must face off against one of the world's deadliest fighters. Making things worse, is the fact that Commissioner Barbara Gordon, Young's wife, isn't as liberal as her father was when it comes to costumed vigilantes, despite having been one herself. Plot Commissioner Gordon and her husband, D.A. Sam Young walk along in the park late at night, when a woman painted blue and wearing white rudely interrupts them. The woman attacks with daggers and a sword that is sharp enough to easily cut through a tree. Gordon defends herself and her husband, but the woman manages to deflect gunfire with her sword, and to slice through anything thrown at her. Batman appears none too soon, managing to save Sam, but the woman now attacks him. The police soon arrive and start firing on both combatants until Barbara tells them to leave off Batman. In the confusion, the woman manages to escape. Terry learns from Bruce that the woman is named Curaré, a member of the League of Assassins. Her scimitar has been laser-sharpened to an edge no thicker than a molecule. Terry volunteers to look after Barbara, but Bruce says she's not the target. Barbara herself appears in the Batcave and chimes in, "her husband is." She explains that Sam is scheduled to testify against international arms dealer Feodor Davich, who has hired the Society to kill him first. Terry is shocked to see her in the Batcave, but she reveals that she was Batgirl a long time ago. She warns Terry and Bruce that she has long since relinquished that identity, and tells both of them to stay out of police business. The next night, Sam is being kept in a safehouse under heavy guard. Bruce, however, is skeptical about their ability to keep their quarry out. Barbara leaves and Curaré makes her move. She easily manages to evade or incapacitate the guards and makes it into the house, pursued by Terry. Catching up to her, he briefly unmasks her, but she traps him underneath a huge light and continues towards her target. Making it to his room, she hurls her sword and impales... a dummy. The whole thing was a trap, but unfortunately, Terry is the one who is caught in it. Curaré escapes into the night. Terry does as well, but a batarang left behind in the trap controls reveals his involvement. Furious at the trap's failure due to Batman's intervention, Barbara confronts Terry and warns him that she'll arrest both him and Bruce if he gets involved again. However, Terry asks why Barbara hates Bruce and she says that she doesn't hate him, she just hates that he's become such a lonely recluse. Over coffee, she talks about her past as Batgirl, explaining that she broke up with Dick Grayson when he left Gotham, choosing to stay behind with Bruce. As a crime-fighting team, they were the perfect pair, but Barbara gave up the life when she realized that Bruce never would. The night of the trial comes and Curaré learns of the plan to take Sam to the court. Bruce orders Terry out. Terry is reluctant, wanting to heed Barbara's warning, but Bruce tells him why Curaré is so dangerous: the Society of Assassins's standard practice is to kill any one of their own who fails; but Curaré has never failed - she is the best of them. Sam heads out on a train along with Barbara and Curaré manages to intercept the train. Once again she defeats the guards with ease and derails the car carrying her target, which crashes into the side of a meat processing plant. Barbara and Sam seal themselves inside a meat locker, but their communications are cut off and Curaré's sword is able to cut through the steel door with ease. She catches up to her target but before she can kill him, Batman intervenes again. During the fight, the meat grinder is activated and some batarangs hit the wall near Barbara and Sam. Eventually, The fight carries the combatants over the meat grinder and Curaré prepares to slash Batman with her sword one last time. Just before she can do so, a batarang, thrown by Barbara, knocks her sword from her hand and into the grinder. Batman manages to capture Curaré and save his friends. Later that night, Terry is on the phone with Bruce, who says that Sam's testimony has succeeded in convicting Davich. But a newscast reports that Curaré has escaped. Bruce tells Terry not to worry, as Curaré has "other concerns." Elsewhere, Curaré desperately drives a police car out of the city, when a sword stabs down through the roof just next to her... Continuity * Barbara mentions the time she and Dick dated. Their involvement was explored in episode "Old Wounds." * It's hinted that Barbara was once romantically involved with Bruce. In Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman there's also another suggestion. * For the first time Terry makes reference to his time in Juvie Hall. The reasons for his conviction won't be disclosed until "Big Time." Background Information Production Inconsistencies * During Batman's fight with Curaré in Gotham Park, he throws a bola at her, which she cuts off with her scimitar. On the next scene, the fragments of the rope that should be on the floor are gone. Trivia * This episode together with "Spellbound" and "Hooked Up" were released on VHS as Batman Beyond: Spellbound. It was later combined with the VHS release of Batman Beyond: School Dayz, which consists of "The Winning Edge", "Golem" and "Dead Man's Hand," on DVD. * Curaré is the name of a poison found in a South American plant, normally used to poison darts and arrows. * Although Barbara Gordon and Sam Young are married, Barbara still retains her own family name. * The idea of the molecule-thick blade comes from Marvel comic's "Nemesis" character (– St. Ives) who first appeared in Alpha Flight vol. 1 #8. She was created by John Byrne and also had a sword with a blade with the thickness of one molecule. * Melissa Disney is credited as the voice of Curaré, even though the character never speaks — only grunts. * Barbara's accusing Bruce of manipulating Terry into becoming Batman mirrors Robin's accusing Batman of manipulating Barbara into becoming Batgirl, in "Old Wounds." Cast Quotes Touch of Curaré, A Touch of Curaré, A